The Greenville times., 1887-11-19
THE LAKE BORGsE JOB EXPOSED.
(AfeInphis Avalanehe.) ]

-a-NAAA AAH ~ aA4AAAAfsN
What do YOU think Of the new As
pect Of the Lake Borgne outlet - Al
Avalanche reporter asked SATURDAY o
( Capt. T. G. Dabney of the Mississippi
levec board.
/ Well, in the first place. Capt. Dab
ney replied. Lake Borgne is shallow
sound, snd the debouehment of IN,
Mississippi river into il would still fur
ther tend to shoal ii up by the deposit
of silt. This is the great evil which
has created so much trouble and ex-
pense in the effort to overcome the
obstacles to commerce in the approach
10 New Orleans through the mouths
of the Mississippi river; and which
Capt. Eads. at the expense of some SS.-
100000 to the government, has over
come successfully. The diversion OF
the river. as proposed. will throw
away these very valuable advantages,
obtained at so great a cost, and give
us in exchange the very shoal naviga-
tion we have been at SO much pains TO
improve.
This would seem in itself a sufficient
reason to condemn the project of Capt
John Cowdon. But, in addition, |
will offer some other considerations.
Capt Cowdon proposes to lower the
Hood plane at Memphis two feet, as Il
condition precedent to his beng paid
an enormous sum for his work, the
sum thus earned to be only one-half
what he is ultimately to receive, and
the conditions Of the flood plane,
which will determine his title to this
payment to be decided by a commits
sion.
Such a commission would have an
exceedingly indefinite task to perform,
upon whose decision would hang very
large pecuniary interests to Capt. John
Cowdon, his assigns. II may very well
so happen that the flood plane at Mem
phis shall be two feet lower than the
maximum or the average without any
assignable cause. II would certainly
not be due TO any diversion of the
waters of the river in the vicinity of
New Orleans During the last flood
period the Memphis guage recorded
an elevation of water in excess of any
former year, though comparatively
small volume passed Cairo. This was
due to local causes. The cutting away
of IIopeiield bar precipitated an ab-
normal head of water on the Memphis
shore, impinging at right angle,
which caused IL to "climb up on the
guage far above its normal plane. The
slight changes in the conllguration of
the channel might entitlc Capt. Cow
don. under the act which he advocates,
to vast sums of money without any
proceedings on his part to earn It.
The low water plane at Memphis is
18l feet above mean gulf level. The,
high water plane is 2l7 feet above
mean gulf level.
The mouth of Red river is at the
foot of a PERCEPTIONS slope in the Miss
issippi river. From that point to the
gulf the low water slope is only about
five feet. II is absurd to assume that
any changes in that diminished slope
between the mouth of Red river and
the gulf will appreciably affect the
flood in the higher portions of the
river with its greatly superior eleva-
tion. From the mouth of Red river to
the gulf the river runs in a fiat and
deep trough. the total low water fall
being only about five feet. No diver
sion of this part of the river can ma
terially affect the mountainous" por-
tions above. win offer one more
consideration
The several factors which enter into
and control the formation of the Miss
issippi river are the total fall in feet
from head to mouth, the volume Of
water voided. and. as resultant of
of these. the momentum of the move
ment of the water. which involves the
velocity of current. Experience and
thetory abundantly show that the resnl
of these several factors is fixed length |
of river. When "cut-off" occurs
which disturbs the equilibrium ofthese
factors by losing portion of its length |
the river Immediately makes efforts to
restore equilibrium by regaining the
lost distance. which is accomplished by |
violent eaving in the banks above and
below the "cut-otf"
Thus the lost distance is regained at |
the expense OF the adjacent country.
The writer had occasion TO make a |
survey of the short line in Louisiana in
$3.50. in region where the "cut-of"
occurred the year after--Dayis bond |
d" eut-ofl." In 1872 the shore line of
s66 had been transferred from Louis
lana to Mississippi, and at the present
date the shore line of Louisiana in
1866 is far in Mississippi. Equilibrium
has been restored, and the river Is as
longas it was before II lost the twenty
eight miles by the cutoff"
And so. if Capt Cowdon makes a
diversion of the river which will short
Ell it 100 miles, he makes precipitous
slope. where now exists a flat slope.
Gazing will ensue. The river will re-
cover its lost distance at the expense
of the adjacent plantations, and after
much havoc we will have the same
ln,,.rth a Of ri,rnr ,Yiih vnrv shnnl unfair